The overall aim of the MBRS Support of Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE) Program at the MSC-UPR is to[unreadable] assist faculty to develop competitive research programs, and to increase the number of underrepresented minorities[unreadable] professionally engaged in biomedical, clinical and behavioral research. Goal 1 of the proposed program aims to[unreadable] increase the scholarly and scientific productivity of MSC investigators. Specific objectives of this goal target[unreadable] outcome measurable increases by MBRS SCORE researchers in: the quantity of publications in peer-reviewed journals[unreadable] (Specific Objective 1.1); the number of presentations (Specific Objective 1.2), with most of this growth occurring in[unreadable] national or international forums; the submission and awarding of investigator-initiated grant applications (i.e. R-type,[unreadable] and NSF) (Specific Objective 1.3); the scientific network of supported investigators, by establishing a mentor and/or a[unreadable] collaborative relationship with a scientists in the area of their research expertise (Specific Objective 1.4); and, in the[unreadable] yearly progress towards completing the specific aims of each research project (Specific Objective 1.5). Goal 2 seeks to[unreadable] coordinate the faculty research activities of the MBRS-SCORE with the student, faculty, and institutional[unreadable] development activities of the MBRS-RISE. Its specific objective is to provide to a minimum of two students[unreadable] (graduate or undergraduate) per year the opportunity to actively participate in research in the funded MBRS SCORE[unreadable] laboratories. And Goal 3 will enhance the research environment and infrastructure of the MBRS SCORE to[unreadable] support the projected increased research activity and productivity of the faculty. In specific we propose to[unreadable] establish an MBRS-SCORE sponsored Seminar Series (Specific Objective 3.1), in topics germane to the research[unreadable] interest of SCORE Program investigators; and, maintain continuous support of the Molecular Biology CORE Lab[unreadable] facilities by continuing to provide access to research-support personnel (Specific Objective 3.2). The 25 projects (20[unreadable] regular and 5 pilot) being submitted as part of the program include basic and clinical biomedically related research[unreadable] projects from faculty in the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, and Allied Health Professions. The[unreadable] proposed MBRS SCORE Program in its configuration unites a cadre of investigators from areas such as molecular[unreadable] biology, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, cell biology; microbiology, immunology, neurobiology congenital[unreadable] malformations, pharmaceutical sciences, and epidemiology and biostatistics. Their individual and combined efforts[unreadable] address a vast army of health conditions that primarily disproportionately affect minorities, such as: genetic disorders,[unreadable] HIV, Hepatitis C, mental depression, asthma, dengue, malaria, and cancer.